Brunei Darussalam
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IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR OCI CARD HOLDERS
i) OCI card needs to be re-issued each time a new passport is acquired by the cardholder up to the age of 20 years.
ii) OCI card is required to be re-issued mandatorily only once after completing 50 years of age irrespective of the fact whether the cardholder has obtained a new passport or not.
iii) Re-issuance of OCI card is not required each time a passport is issued to a cardholder between 21 and 50 years of age. There is no mandatory requirement of carrying the old passport but may be advisable to carry as part of abundant precaution.
Detailed guidelines on OCI are available on website of MHA www.ociservices.gov.in
IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR RE-ISSUANCE OF OCI CARD AFTER ATTAINING THE AGE OF 50 YEARS
It may be noted that for re-issuance of OCI card after attaining the age of 50 years only following two documents will be required for uploading on the OCI portal:-
(I) Copy of OCI card presently held by the applicant
(ii) Copy of valid foreign passport held by the applicant
Extension of timeline for handwritten travel documents (PIO Cards) till 31.12.2024
MHA vide their OM No. 26011/MISC/71/2018-OCI dated 30.12.2023 has conveyed that PIO cards will continue to be accepted as a valid travel document till 31.12.2024 along with valid foreign passport.
2. Indian Immigration Check Post (s) will continue to consider all PIO cards valid for exit/entry into India till 31.12.2024. This extension of timeline is subject to the condition that if in the meantime any deadline is notified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) thereby making hand written PIO cards invalid, then PIO cardholders may have to obtain appropriate visa from Indian Missions/Posts.
3. In this regard, all PIO cardholders with valid PIO cards as on 09.01.2015 to apply for conversion of PIO card to OCI card as per the guidelines circulated earlier.
Benefits of holding OCI Card:
OCI card is a smart card and it facilitates quicker immigration clearance and various consular services from Indian Missions abroad. OCI card holders are entitled to the following benefits:
1. A multiple entry, multi-purpose lifelong Visa for visiting India.
2. No separate Student/ employment/ business visa will be required for admission in colleges/ institutions or for taking up employment, business etc. in India.
3. Special counters for speedy immigration clearance at designated immigration check posts.
4. Exemption from registration with local police authorities for any length of stay in India.
5. Parity with Non-resident Indians (NRIs) in economic, financial and educational fields except for acquisition of agricultural land or plantation.
6. OCI card can be used as proof of identity for applying PAN Card, Driving Licence and for opening regular bank account in India, if the OCI card holder resides in India.
7. Other benefits may be notified by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) under Section 7B(1) of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
What an Overseas Citizen of India is not entitled for:
The OCI is not entitled to vote, be a member of Legislative Assembly or Legislative Council or Parliament. He/she cannot hold constitutional posts such as President, Vice President, Judge of Supreme Court or High Court etc. and cannot normally hold employment in the Government. A person registered as an OCI Card Holder under Section 7 A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, shall be eligible for appointment as teaching faculty in the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and the new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) set ups by the Central Government under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana
OVERSEAS CITIZENSHIP OF INDIA (OCI)
Eligibility Criteria:
A foreign national, who was eligible to become citizen of India on 26.01.1950 or, was a citizen of India on or at any time after 26.01.1950 or, belonged to a territory that became part of India after 15.08.1947 and, his/her children and grand children, provided his/her country of citizenship allows dual citizenship in some form or other under the local laws, is eligible for registration as Overseas Citizen of India (OCI). Minor children of such persons are also eligible for OCI. However, if the applicant has ever been a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh, he/she will not be eligible for OCI.
Application Form and Procedure:
Detailed instructions are given in the website of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)http://mha1.nic.in/foreigDiv/OCI.html which should be carefully read before applying. Part A has to be filled for each applicant and part B is common for all applicants of the same family.
To fill up the application, an applicant should follow the procedure given below:
· Visit http://mha1.nic.in/foreigDiv/OCI.html
· Click online registration and complete the form (part A) online.
· After part A is filled out online, click ''save''. A print window would appear. Click ''OK'' to print out the requisite application form consisting of part A (which has been completed as online registration). The blank form of part-B will automatically print itself along with part A.
·The applicant must then fill in part B. It should be written in capital letters with blue Ink only.
The following documents should be enclosed with each applicant:
a Proof of present citizenship (copy of the Passport)
b Evidence of self or parents or grand parents:
i) being eligible to become a citizen of India on 26.01.1950; or
ii) being citizen of India on or after 26.01.1950; or
iii) belonging to a territory that became part of India after 15.08.1947.
These could be either copy of the Indian passport, or copy of the domicile certificate issued by the Competent authority, or any other acceptable proof.
c. Evidence of relationship as parent/grant parent, if their Indian origin is claimed as basis for grant of OCI ( birth certificates, duly attested by the Foreign Ministry or the Embassy of the Issuing country)
d PIO Card holder should also submit a copy of his/her PIO Card.
e Four identical colour photographs (size 5 cms x 5 cms, which background. One photograph to be pasted in the designated box on Form A ( not stapled) and enclose the remaining three.
f Application fee of BND 370 (payable in cash) for each applicant applying for OCI card
g If the applicant was born in Brunei Darussalam, please attach the birth certificate, duly certified by the Brunei’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and the Marriage Certificate of parents (Attested by MoFA in respect of marriages solemnised in Brunei Darussalam. If the marriage was solemnised in India, the certificate should be attested by Consular Section, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), New Delhi or Branch Secretariat of MEA).
h. If the name of the spouse of the applicant (if applicable) is not available in the documents being submitted, please submit the Marriage Certificate along with the application (duly attested by MoFA for marriages solemnised in Brunei Darussalam, and attested by Consular Section, Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi, for marriages solemnised in India).
The application form completed in all respects along with enclosures should be submitted in Duplicate to the High Commission of India.
All the above documents are to be produced in original for verification and photocopies of the same are to be attached with the application.
Applicants may check status of their application on MHA''s website http://mha1.nic.in/foreigDiv/OCI.html.
After grant of OCI registration, after verification process carried out in India, a registration certificate in the form of a booklet will be issued. The OCI Card should be compulsorily carried along with valid passport on all visits to India.
Please note that the OCI registration certificates are prepared at a centralised cell in the Ministry concerned in New Delhi and not in the High Commission of India, Brunei Darussalam. The procedure will take time. Hence applicants may keep this time-frame in mind while submitting their applications. The High Commission will initially acknowledge the applications and will suitably advise the applicants when the required documents have been received from India.
Cancellation of OCI registration:
If it has been found that the registration as an OCI was obtained by means of fraud, false representation or concealment of any material fact or the registered OCI has shown disaffection towards the Constitution of India or comes under any of the provisions of section 7D of the Citizenship Act, the registration of such person will not only be cancelled forthwith but he/she will also be blacklisted for visiting India.
